


Playground Tango

by BasicallyAnIdiot



Series: The Senju Princess [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF!sakura, Gen, In Defense of Slugs, Senju!Sakura, Soon to be BAMF!Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 02:30:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18295037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BasicallyAnIdiot/pseuds/BasicallyAnIdiot
Summary: One of Sakura's mentors comes with her to class.





	Playground Tango

**Author's Note:**

> Originally prompted by Grande_Crosse, "Sakura defends slugs against girls that think that they’re disgusting." 
> 
> This didn't quite follow the prompt completely, but it was still fun regardless. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**Playground Tango**

Screams were common in Iruka’s classroom. Usually accompanied by peels and squeals of laughter, playful and loud. The joy of childhood in a single high-pitched sound echoing from the open windows into the room. A sound that dominated the playground lunch hour.

These screams were nothing like that.

Iruka shot up from his desk at the first terror-filled cry, the wail of a wounded animal, bento lunch abandoned on the desk behind him. Speed favoured over elegance, the Chunin leapt out the window. Hand twitching to the kunai pouch on his leg- visions of missing limbs danced in the front of his mind. What had his students done _now_? Was it an attack? Someone trying to steal one of the clan children?

By the gods, please let all them keep their fingers. He told them not to play with kunai- that they were tools and the youth needed to be supervised to before using them.

The Chunin landed softly on a branch of the tree under his classroom window, startling Shikamaru and Chouji with his arrival, scanning the playground. There- by the lake. The source of the screams.

It was a dash, missed by most of his students no doubt, and clearing the hill Iruka had prepared for the worst. Pools of blood everywhere- gods, what if he had a death on his hands?

He skidded to stop, dust dispersing into the wind.

The first thing that became clear was that Ami was in tears, wailing and shaking her arm so fast and hard Iruka couldn’t quite make out what was on it. Her friends seemed dumbstruck- eyes wide and stunned silence.

Across from her, Sakura looked horrified- not reassuring Iruka at all. Naruto, her loyal shadow stood at her side, mouth wide in shock. The new kimono top, dark green with a red swirl on the shoulders, he had started wearing was already dirty, but thus far had avoided any cuts. A sharp contrast to Sakura’s bright crimson top, not a stain or mar to be seen anywhere. No signs of apparent injuries on either student, or on the two girls standing behind Ami. 

The Senju princess shook her head, jaw snapping shut and, for once, the polite smile Iruka always saw did not appear. Rather, a stone cold expression cover the Senju Princess' face. Snake-like, far faster than he had ever seen her do in a spar, her hand whipped out and gripped Ami’s flailing arm at the wrist.

Iruka heard the crack of a dislocated shoulder and Ami’s wail turned to a whimper. Sakura’s expression didn’t change, resolute in her stance and an iron grip that held so tight her hand went white.

Then she bowed.

At the waist.

_Deeply_.

The Chunin stared at the young girl. He had never, ever seen the Senju Princess bow to anyone. Not even the Hokage rustled such respect from the girl. Even more surprising was the yelp from Naruto, who scrambled to follow suit.

In a tone he had never heard from Sakura before, she said, “Katsuyu-sama. I am so sorry for Ami-san’s behaviour. She does not know better.”

Iruka blinked and took a closer look at Ami’s arm. A blob of white with an aqua-green stripe down the side shifted, two antenna rising out of the rest of the blob. A slug.

A slug. That commanded Sakura’s respect. A hard-won thing at the best of times. Who’s guardian was known as the Slug Sannin.

Oh sh-

“It is quite alright, Sakura-hime.” A feminine voice replied, light and airy. “But I will return to you now.”

Sakura straightened, a twist to her lips as she offered her other hand, palm up and flat. The slug slid along, Ami’s face paling as it went, and leapt into the Senju’s hand.

With a slight bow, Sakura released Ami’s arm- a hand shaped bruise already forming- and transferred the slug to her shoulder. The summon settled quietly.  

“What,” Iruka asked when his voice returned, “Is going on here?” 

The students jumped. All five of them turned to Iruka, various signs of shock on their faces. Ami didn’t even get a chance to speak. Nor did Sakura.

“It was crazy, Iruka-sensei!” Naruto bounced over to him, blond hair almost flowing with how long it was getting. The growing out his hair was a new thing- Iruka had thought it just because Naruto hadn’t bothered to get it cut, but now couldn’t help but wonder if it was deliberate. “Sakura-chan brought Katsuyu-chan with her to class because Katsuyu-chan wanted to learn more about the Academy and Tsunade-oba-san-”

“-Oba-sama.” Sakura added lacklusterly.

“Said it was okay but then Ami thought Katsuyu-chan was a, wazza… I don’t know what Ami thought Katsuyu-chan was but she grabbed her like some object and freaked out when Katsuyu-chan told her not to! And then Sakura-chan gripped Ami’s arm to prevent her from hurting Katsuyu-chan and that’s where you came in Iruka-sensei!”

Naruto, bless him, was an idiot. But he was a loyal idiot, and probably the most honest one of his class. It could hamper him in the future, but at the moment he was the most credible witness there.

Iruka bit back a sigh, and rubbed the scar on the bridge of his nose. Ami’s whimpers were louder now- her shoulder joint swelling. “You need to get that seen to, Ami, before it gets worst.”

“It’s fine, Iruka-sensei. I can fix it here and now.” Sakura took a deep inhale, expression still stone cold, and stepped up to her classmate before Iruka could reply.

It was a practiced, controlled movement- too fast for Iruka to follow completely- and Ami’s howl of pain was real this time. Sakura paid no attention to the sobs, instead a single hand coated with green chakra rested above the joint.

With a nod, the Senju withdrew her hand. “You will be fine. The joint went back in and nothing else was injured. Please excuse me.”

The Senju and Naruto turned without a word and walked away, leaving Iruka with Ami and her friends. Ami’s bottom lip wavered, a fresh pool of tears building. “Sensei…?”

Iruka didn't have much choice and focused on Ami.

 

~*~*~*~

 

There was a shift in the classroom dynamic overnight. Around the Senju Princess, with the exception of Sasuke, the clan children had shifted from their usual seats. Most were a seat or two closer, though they all seemed to ignore each other. 

Iruka blinked twice when he saw Shino in the row just before the Senju Princess speaking quietly with the girl… Wait- not Sakura. Sakura was reading a scroll and not paying much attention to her classmates.

Katsuyu the tiny slug summon, however, sat on her desk conversing with the young Aburame. Weird. But okay. 

What stopped him dead in his tracks, however, was the sight of Yamanaka Ino braiding flowers into Naruto’s growing locks. She was halfway through, and while Naruto's fingers where drumming on the desk, the boy didn't move. Various hair implements Iruka had never seen laid out in front of them and a crown of lavender, clematis, and pink bella donna tangled in the Jinchuriki's sunshine hair.

"Everything okay, Sensei?" Chouji asked from the mid-row. He had shifted a seat closer to the back, Shikamaru with him. 

A pained sound escaped before Iruka could stop it. With a shake of his head, he added, "Everything's fine, Chouji. Thank you for asking."

If he repeated it enough, it might come true. Maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> What to prompt me for The Senju Princess? Come find me on [ Tumblr!](https://basicallyanidiot.tumblr.com/)


End file.
